Vellum Help
Print Settings
You can control the size and layout of your Print Edition using Print Settings, available from Vellum’s File menu:
- Overview
- Trim Size
- Margins
- Additional Controls
- Page Count
Overview
Selecting the Print Settings menu item displays these controls:
Trim Size
To start, Vellum displays popular trim sizes at print-on-demand services:
Click to select a trim size, and Vellum will automatically update margins and font size for your book. In many cases, this is the only setting you’ll need to configure.
More Options
To choose from sizes beyond the most popular ones, click the More Options button.
Vellum will display the full set of trim sizes available in Vellum, grouped into two tabs: US/UK and International.
Margins
You can control your book’s margins in two ways:
- Inside Margin is the amount of space closest to your book’s binding
- Outside Margin is on the opposite side, at the edge of the page
- Inside Margin
- The amount of space closest to your book’s binding
- Outside Margin
- Space on the opposite side, at the edge of the page
You’ll find controls for these two margin values in Print Settings:
Inside Margin
Your book’s Inside Margin should be large enough that text closest to the spine remains visible. A book with more pages will typically require a larger Inside Margin.
For most trim sizes, Vellum’s default of 0.875 inches will work well. For larger trim sizes, we recommend bumping up to 1 inch. To encourage this, Vellum will reset the Inside Margin to this default any time you change trim size.
Outside Margin
Vellum will automatically set Outside Margin
to a value recommended for your chosen trim size.
To provide your
own value, press the Customize
button found to the right of the AUTO
indicator.
To return to Vellum’s automatic value, press the
Reset
button.
Note: Outside Margin will reset to an automatic value any time you change trim size.
Additional Controls
Beneath the Margin settings are sections that you can toggle to open and close:
When closed, each section displays a summary of the current settings.
Text Adjustments
When you select a trim size, Vellum automatically configures the font size and line spacing for your book. You can use Text Adjustment controls to make minor adjustments.
These controls will reset to the recommended value (in the middle) whenever you change trim size.
Font Size Details
Vellum automatically sets a font size based on your selected trim size and uses perceptual font sizing for a consistent appearance across font families.
You can see details about this sizing by pressing the button found next to the Font Size slider:
For a 5 × 8 book, the actual size for Athelas begins at 10.5 pt. But because this font is larger than most, it will have a perceptual size of 11 pt.
Specific values will change based on the selected trim size, font, and any manual adjustments you make in Print Settings.
Chapter Begin
Vellum will ensure the First chapter begins on the right-hand side (or recto) of your book. Change this setting if you’d like Vellum to do the same for Every chapter.
Page Numbering
Most English-language books begin numbering pages at the First Chapter (or Prologue if there is one). If an element like an Introduction comes before this, its pages will use Roman numerals (i, ii, iii).
Books in other languages sometimes start numbering with the Initial Page of the book. Select this option to number accordingly.
Images
Choose whether images in your print edition should be in Black & White or in Color.
Printing a book in color will also require selecting options at your chosen print-on-demand service. Color printing will typically increase printing costs (sometimes substantially).
Bleed
Include Bleed
By default, Vellum will add a bleed region to your generated book Only if Necessary — for instance, when your book contains Full Beed content such as a Heading Background or a Full Page Image. This region ensures that your artwork reaches the edge of the page after it is trimmed.
Some smaller printing services require a bleed region regardless of whether your book’s content reaches the edges of the page. If you are using one of these printers, set Include Bleed to Always.
Bleed Region
Vellum’s default bleed region is 0.125 inches on the outside edges of each page, as required by KDP and IngramSpark.
If you use a different print service, you can configure the Bleed Region using one of these options:
| Bleed | Edges | Services | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.125 in |  |
Outside | IngramSpark, KDP |
| 0.125 in |  |
All | Lulu |
| 3 mm | |
All | Bookvault, Tolino |
| 5 mm | |
All | BoD, Tredition |
✨ This feature was added in Vellum 3.8.4. Make sure you are up-to-date.
Page Count
As you alter values in Print Settings, Vellum will calculate and display the total page count for your book in the lower left corner:
